Electric belt.



' Patented Aug. 13 lam.

No. 680,629. J. TBUSSELL.

ELECTRIC B ELT. (Application m'ed Dec. 8, 1900.)

(No Model.)

m: mams PETERS co4. mam-uwe.. wur-Immun. Dv l;

UNTTan STATES PATENT Tarea.

JAMES TRUSSELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN II. COURLL,OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC BELT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 680,629, dated August 13, 1901.

Applicatinn filed December 8,1900. Serial No. 39.142. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.' also the means for uniting the said parts to- Beitknown that I, JAMES TRUSSELL, a citigether. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional View zen of the United States, residing at Chicago, of a moisture-retaining pad or cover for one in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, of the electrodes. Fig. 5 is a View of one of 55 5 have invented certain new and useful Imthe cells of the battery. Fig. (i is a crossprovements in Electric Belts, of which the sectional view thereof, taken on line 6 6 of following is a specification. Fig. 5, looking in the direction indicated by This invention relates to improvements in the arrows. Fig. '7 is a detached view of a electric batteries and appliances to be applied portion of one of the cells. Fig. 8 is a view 6o io to or worn on the human body for the therain elevation of a portion of the belt, showing peutical effects thereof; and it consists in certhe binding-posts of the switch and a portion tain peculiarities of the construction, novel of their conductors; and Fig. 9 is a sectional arrangement, and operation of the various View through the switch-cap and one of the parts of the same, as will be hereinafter more binding-posts, showing them detached and 65 fully set forth and specifically claimed. disconnected.

The objects of my invention are, rst, to Similar characters refer to like parts provide an electric belt which shall be simthroughout the different views of the drawple and inexpensive in construction, strong, ings. durable, and effective in operation, and in A represents a belt, which may be made of 7o 2o which the current of electricityT may be inleather or any other suitable flexible matecreased or diminished at the will of the rial; butin the present instance I have shown wearer while the belt is in position'on the it as composed partly of leather andpartly body; second, to provide a belt of the aboveof cloth-that is, the exterior of the belt is described character in which the battery or formed of a piece of leather a, having a lin- 75 galvanic pile shall be more durable by reason ing a', and that portionthereof adjacent to of my improved construction than has herethe body as being made of a piece of cloth a2, tofore been attained in such devices, and, which portions are folded longitildinally, so third, to furnish a beltin which the electrodes as to form a pocket for the reception of the may be so covered as to prevent them combattery or galvanic pile. The upper portion 8o 3o ing in direct contact with the skin of the of the part a is provided with sockets Z2 to wearer and are so connected to the battery as receive buttons or projections b on the upto allow one or more of them to be shifted so per part of the `portion a2; but said parts may as to be placed on any portion of the body be otherwise secured together, and the belt which it is desired shall be" subjected to the may be of other construction than that above 85 electric current. described, without departing from the spirit Other objects and advantages of my invenof my invention. Secured at each of its ends tion will appear in the subjoined description. to the portion a2 of the belt is a strap a3, which In order to enable others skilled in the art may extend any desired distance on the belt. to which my invention pertains to make and On this strap are movably located the elec- 9o 4o use the same, I will now proceed to describe trodes B, which are preferably concavo-conit, referring to the accompanying drawings, Vex in shape and have on their surfaces adin whichjacent to the belt a loop b2, through which Figure l is an external view in elevation of the strap a3 passes, thus allowing the eleca belt embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a trodes to slide thereon. The portion a2 of 95 similar view of the opposite side of the belt, the belt is provided with binding-posts c and or that portion thereof which lies adjacent to c, to which the battery is connected, as will the body of the wearer when it isdn position be presently explained. Near one of its ends thereon. Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional the belt A is provided with a number of posts, view taken on line 3 3 of Fig. l, showing the which are marked with the numerals l, 2, and roo 5o construction of the belt, one of the cells of 3, as is clearlyshown in Fig. l of the drawings.

the battery, and one of the electrodes, and The post l is connected by means of a cony the body. the ring or loop d2 is a conductor e, the other ductor (l to a metal loop or ring d', which is secured to the belt and with which one end of the battery engages. The other end of the battery is connected to a loop or ring d2, near the opposite end of the portion a2 of the belt. The post 2 is connected by means of a conductor cl3 with the post c, and the post 3 is connected to the post c' by means of a conductor d4, all of which conductors may be covered, so as not to come in contact with Connected at one of its ends to end ot' which is connected to an electrode B', which I have shown as being provided with a loop b2 to receive a portion ot the belt, but

' which loop may be omitted, as said electrode is designed to'be placed on diii'erent portions of the body.

The battery is composed oi a series of cells, each comprising a piece of zinc E, having cast therein wires e', formed with hooks e2 to engage openings g in a portion of the copper covering or casing Gr, which is preferably pressed around the zinc piece E and. is provided with perforations g', as is clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 5 of the drawings. Located between the zinc pieces and copper are pieces h, of woolen cloth or other suitable material. The cells are connected together by means of the hooked wires e ot' the zinc portions and the openings g in the copper portions, thus forminga chain battery. By casting the wires c in the zinc pieces E, I obtain a more durable battery, for, as is well known, on account of the oxidation of the metals the connections between the positive and negative metals often become loosened or disconnected, and thus render the battery inoperative.

In Fig. 4 of the drawings I have shown a covering which I may sometimes employ for one or more ot' the electrodes, which covering consists of a piece of leather L, having a nurnber ot" perfor-ations l, and which piece is provided at its edge with an elastic band 'm to draw the same together, thus forming a pouch or cap in which is placed a quantity of wool n or other suitable material. By stretching the elastic cord or band m the same may be placed over the disk or electrode B, thus retaining the covering in position thereon. The ends of the belt A are provided with fastening means r and r' of any desired kind, so that the belt may be adjusted to the body of the wearer.

As is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the electrodes B are united by a conductor di", the free end ot' which is provided with a cap d to engage the posts l, 2, and 3 of the switch or current controlling device. This cap, which is clearly shown in Fig. 9 of the drawings, is of the same construction as the socket or cap cl, which is shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and consists of a hollow metallic piece slightly contracted at its open end and has located in its open end a tubular portion r, provided with slots r and an ontwardly-extending flange r2, between which flange and the iiange 'r3 on the outer surface of the cap d6 is located and secured the leather or material r4 which is used for releasing the cap from the posts.

The cells of the battery, located at the proper points, are provided with sockets s to receive the binding-posts c c or may be otherwise constructed so as to provide a perfect contact therewith'.

The operation of my belt is simple and is as follows: It is placed in position on the body so that the electrodes B will contact with the skin of the wearer or when the covers are employed said covers will contact therewith. The battery having previously been treated with diluted acid or vinegar will generate an electric current, the strength of which may be regulated by means of the switch or current controlling device. For instance, by placing the cap d on the post l all of the cells of the battery will be in circuit and the entire current-effective; but by pl-acing the said cap on post 2 a portion ot the cells of the battery will be cut out and the current reduced. If a further reduction in the current is required, the cap (Z6 may be placed on post 3, which operation will cut out of circuit more of the cells of the battery, as is apparent.

By providing the cells ot the battery with sockets s to receive the binding-posts c and c it is apparent that one of said cells may be detached from its binding-post, thus throwing int-o circuit more of the cells ot the battery.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let-ters Patent, is-

l. The combination with a belt, of a battery secured at its ends to the belt, a series of binding-posts located near one end of the battery, an electric connection uniting one of said posts with the end of the battery adjacent thereto and electric connections detachably uniting the other posts with the battery between its ends, electrodes secured on the belt and having electric connection with the battery between its end-s, a switch-cap having electric connection with the said electrodes and battery between its ends and adapted to engage the said binding-posts, and another electrode 4electrically connected to the end of the battery opposite the said posts, substantially as described.

2. In a battery for electric belts, a cell coinprising a piece of zinc cast with wire hooks therein, a piece of copper enveloping the said zinc piece and having perforations and an eX- tension with openings to receive the hooks of the zinc piece, and a piece ot' cloth or absorbent material located between the copper and zinc, substantially as described.

JAMES TRUSSELL.

Witnesses:

CHAs. C. TILLMAN, A. GUsTAFsoN.

IOO

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